The Warrior and The Lady
by Kasainoai
Summary: A series of unconnected Zutara drabbles. Mostly romance. Slight OOC although I do try to keep everyone in character. Latest drabble: A New Father's Worries.
1. Heartbreak

Might be OOC. This is just a brief little fight scene between Zuko and Katara. Just not the physical kind. Hope you like it.

In any case, I don't own ATLA. Just sayin'.

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**Heartbreak**  
26th October 2012

"Katara!" Zuko ran after the waterbender storming across the courtyard of the Fire palace. "Katara! Wait!"

Katara felt her jaw clench as she listened to the sound of Zuko's footsteps getting closer and resisted the urge to break into a run. She felt raw and vulnerable and furious and … _hurt._ bBut she just wanted to focus on being angry. Anger was a better emotion to deal with right now because if she was going to grieve over hurt, she was aware of the fact that she might start crying.

"Katara, _wait_!"

"Why, Zuko?" She stopped and whirled around suddenly, startling him. Her face was tight with anger. "So you can tell me some more lies?!"

"I never lied to you," Zuko insisted as he came to a slow stop in front of her. When she continued to look unconvinced, he snapped in frustration, "Believe me!"

"Why should I? I have all the proof I need!" She grabbed something from her belt and for one wild moment, he thought that she was seizing a weapon to attack him with but it turned out to be a black silk ribbon. She threw it at him and it fluttered and twisted in the night breeze.

He stared at it as it spiraled gently to the ground. "What is that?"

She laughed a little but it was a shaky, bitter sound that made him flinch. He knew that she expected him to recognize it and that she probably figured he was faking his bewilderment but he was honestly confused. He'd never seen it before.

Although it did look vaguely familiar.

"Don't you recognize it? It was on your _bed_," Katara spoke as if she was spitting poison. She stopped to stare at him, her beautiful eyes boring into his skull, obviously waiting for him to get it.

Zuko stared back at her in confusion then at the black ribbon settled upon the ground between them. On his bed? It was familiar but at the same time unfamiliar, like something he'd seen before but never really taken an interest in …

Then it hit him.

_Mai_.

Of course.

She'd come into his room this morning, asking him to give her an explanation as to why he'd been avoiding her. Why he hadn't shown any desire to pick things up where they'd left off last, why he hadn't shown any interest in a relationship with her, why he hadn't proposed. He'd explained to the best of his ability – which wasn't much – that he wasn't interested in her anymore. And somehow or other, she'd started throwing knives at him and he'd started bending fire at her. In the end, they'd both been breathing hard from the workout, his clothes had been tattered and her hair had collapsed from their usual put togetherness.

But no harm done. She'd accepted his decision with grace and even wished him well. Then she'd left and he'd had his room cleaned up. Obviously the staff had missed the ribbon on his bed.

An innocent story but looking into Katara's face which was tight with fury, he realized how it must have looked to her.

Slowly, he stretched his hands out to her. "I can explain."

"Was Mai in your room this morning?" Katara asked between pursed lips. She sounded beyond consoling.

"Yes but – "

"Then we don't really have anything to talk about, do we?" She whirled around and started walking again. Walking to a destination she didn't know.

Cursing fluidly under his breath, he ran after her again. "Katara, nothing happened! I swear!"

"I can't do this anymore," she threw over her shoulder without pausing in her speed walking. "I can't. I thought I could but I can't pretend everything's fine when it's not."

He stopped right in his tracks, feeling ice lock around his heart.

This was it. A conversation he had been dreading. Feelings he had been hoping would not crop up. A rock in their relationship he was not sure they could jump over.

"What?"

She had stopped too. But she kept her back to him. Her breathing was heavier than normal and her shoulders were shaking slightly – although from the cold or an excess of emotion, he did not know.

"Let's not pretend that I can just marry you and everything will be alright," she said quietly and each word pierced through his heart like daggers. "You can't marry a waterbender. And I'm not even a princess! I'm just a simple peasant – "

"Don't talk about yourself in that way," he interrupted harshly.

"I can't continue this," she continued as if he had not spoken. "You belong in the Fire Nation with Mai and your other loyal subjects. I belong with Aang and Sokka and Toph and Suki. I can't pretend to be the perfect Fire Lady when I'm not."

"I don't care," Zuko said, but his heartbeat was unnaturally loud in his chest. He took a few steps forward. "Katara, don't –"

"I'm sorry, Your Majesty," she said and the words felt like a whiplash. He fell back and she began to walk again, picking up pace until she broke into a run completely, hoping he could not see the tears running down her face.

She left him in the darkness.

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I'm having mixed feelings about this. So let me know what you think? :)

Kindly rate and review. Any hate and I will do everything in my power to hunt you freaking down. Constructive criticism is much appreciated.

x** Kasainoai**


	2. Any Three Questions

Thanks a bunch to _katara-zuko1714_ and _Holding Infinity_ for being the first ones to review. I swear I jumped a foot in the air, screamed hysterically and started dancing around like an idiot out of pure excitement. Thanks so much for your positive feedback!

For this drabble, I was inspired by the game Piper and her father played in the book Heroes of Olympus: The Lost Hero. I thought it would be cute if Zuko and Katara played it. So enjoy!

Also, I apologize for the length. I tried but I can't seem to write short stories. T.T Hope you guys don't mind though. Another thing is that as always, its OOC so you don't have to remind me.

I don't own ATLA. Just sayin'.

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**Any Three Questions**  
27th October 2012

Zuko stretched languidly out on the grass, folded his arms behind his head and tilted his chin sideways to stare at Katara's profile. She was sitting cross legged beside him, staring up at the long stretch of black sky far above them, her blue eyes reflecting the stars that dotted the black expanse.

"I love the stars," she said wistfully. "When I was a little girl, I would always look up at them and imagine that the stars were my mother's way of letting me know she was okay and still watching over me."

"I never knew that," he said, frowning slightly.

But then again, he reminded himself. She never really talked much about her mother.

"You don't know a lot of things about me," she teased him with a light smile as she turned her head to look down at him. "We were enemies and then we were friends and then we fell in love. No time to learn more about each other."

"Well, let us fix that," Zuko replied, sitting up. 'Let's play Any Three Questions."

She frowned a little. "What's that?"

"It's a game my mother used to play with me," explained Zuko. "You can ask each other any three questions and the person has to answer honestly. Ready?"

Katara raised her eyebrows at him. She could already guess what he would ask. "_Any_ three questions?"

"Any." He grinned mischeviously.

"Fine. You start then," Katara allowed. He pretended to think for a moment.

"Aang."

Yes, she was right. First question: weeding out the competition. She sighed a little, resigned. "What do you want to know?"

"Do you have feelings for him?" Zuko prodded. "Still, I mean."

"No," her answer was quick, definite, firm. At the look in his eyes, she elaborated. "I did like him once, a very long time ago. He was someone who was always so kind, so sweet – I watched him grow and grew with him. He will always be a huge part of my life. But he wasn't someone I loved, not in the way he wanted me to."

"Oh," Zuko's tone was casual but he'd relaxed slightly and there was a more confident light in his eyes. She had to suppress a smile. "Your turn."

For a minute, she almost asked about Mai but then she caught the grin playing on his lips. He was clearly expecting that question from her. Quickly, she changed tack.

"What's your favourite colour?"

Surprise flared in his face. He stared at her a moment before replying. "Red. What's yours?"

"Typical," she teased him, referring to the traditional Fire Nation colours. "And it's blue actually."

"Typical," he repeated back to her, adapting the same light tone she had used. "My turn then."

"You already asked your question, it's my turn now," Katara smugly reminded him, grinning as he cursed fluidly under his breath. "Do you miss him? Your … father?"

She held her breath as she spoke the words, not knowing how he would react. Her words had effectively doused the playful air between them; he stiffened. His eyes turned dark, cold and shuttered, closing himself off from her.

There was a long silence.

She didn't really expect him to respond and silently cursed herself for bringing it up. She didn't even know why she had done it. But just as she was opening her mouth to say something playful, he surprised her by saying, "Sometimes."

Katara snapped her mouth shut and stared at him. He was looking straight at her, not hiding or sugarcoating his true feelings. "I know he was a terrible father but he was the only one I had. I spent a good part of my life seeking approval and affection from him. I hated him with everything I had but I'll probably always have a part of me longing for him to be proud of me. I hate him and I'm glad he's locked away for good … but I miss him, because I know that as long as I live, there'll be a little bit of me wanting to do everything I possibly can to please him."

Tears stung the back of her eyes and she reached out to touch his hand tentatively. His fingers closed over hers. There would never be any words to assuage those jumbled, mixed up feelings within him, she knew but she also knew that this was enough for him.

Being with her. Her listening to him. But most of all, not judging him.

They say like that for a long moment, just looking at each other, holding hands. The silence felt like a warm blanket wrapped around their still figures and the stars twinkled far above them.

Then Zuko cleared his throat, breaking the spell. "My turn."

"Nothing about Aang?" Katara teased, just to lighten the atmosphere. He smiled and shook his head.

"When did you fall in love with me?"

_Oh no_.

Immediately, heat rose to Katara's cheeks and she blushed hotly. She couldn't believe that he was asking this question. He thought he knew the answer, she could see it from his smug, wicked grin, but the truth? She only knew.

"You have to tell me _honestly_," he reminded her in that irritating smug tone of his. "Come on."

She swallowed. When she next spoke, it came out in a whisper.

"You had me at 'I'll save you from the pirates'."

He blinked – she had shocked him. Quickly, trying to distract him, she threw in, desperately, "It's my turn now." The stupid heat was infusing her whole face now; she was probably scarlet at the moment.

Zuko looked at her for a moment, obviously still recovering from the shock of her answer. Then finally, he cleared his throat, smiled slightly and squeezed her hand. "Go ahead."

She chewed on her bottom lip.

"Do you love me?"

He didn't answer for a long moment. The silence stretched on between them. His face had become cold, closed off, fathomless. She felt her heart dropped.

He smiled suddenly, surprising her.

"Ever since the pirates."

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I have mixed feelings about this one too. In all honesty, it was supposed to be short. Aish. -.-

In any case, let me know what you think. :) Review and favourite, please! No hate or I will hunt you down. Constructive criticism is as always, much appreciated.

x **Kasainoai**


	3. The Protective Older Brother

So. I feel the need to apologize for the extremely late update but I'm been busy with exam dramas, ending of school, sudden holidays, family outings, all the usual stuff. *guilt*

In any case, it's the holidays and I'm thinking of getting a job since I seriously practically have nothing to do at home every day. *flails* Ugh. But still stuck. Any ideas? ):

Anyways, this was just a cute little Sokka-Zuko thing I thought up of. The whole Protective Older Brother Tough Guy act that Sokka likes to put on. It's a little lame though. But enjoy.

I do not own ATLA. Just sayin'.

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**The Protective Older Brother  
**9th November 2012

"Welcome to the family, Zuko!" Sokka exclaimed.

Zuko, bundled up tight in his many layers of fur, only stared at him in dumbfounded amazement, wondering if he was hearing things. Obviously, the cold from spending the past couple of days in the South Pole had gotten into his head because he could've sworn that he had heard Sokka say –

"Welcome to the family, Zuko!" Sokka repeated cheerfully, darting forward to throw one arm over Zuko's shoulders – something he hadn't done since he'd found out the firebender and Katara were dating.

"So – Sokka?" Truly alarmed now, Zuko threw a glance at Katara beside him but she only giggled, smiled at him and ducked into her family's tent. "Ah, what's going on?"

"What do you mean?" Sokka looked almost insulted. "What, I can't be friendly with my good buddy?"

Considering that Sokka had spent the past few weeks – particularly since he and Katara had arrived in the South Pole a few days ago – glaring pointedly at him, harrumphing loudly at odd intervals around him and dropping obvious hints that he and Katara had to break up? _Yes._

"No," Zuko said weakly then wanted to kick himself for being such a weakling. He was a Fire Lord, ruler of the fire Nation. He'd gone to war, faced off with his father, taken a lightning bolt from his insane sister. He should be able to stand up to _Sokka_ of all people. But admittedly, when it came to Katara, Sokka became quite a little monster. "I mean, I was just surprised. You've been acting like yo –"

"Yeah, I know," Sokka said bracingly. "I mean, you know, at first, you … and my sister …" he waved his hand dismissively. "I admit, I did kind of overreact a little. But it's in the past now, right?"

_Especially since I can bet you two will break up in a few weeks time_, he added silently to himself as he flashed a huge smile at Zuko.

In truth, his new change of heart towards Zuko came after Katara had confronted both him and their father to demand they – meaning him – be civil towards her boyfriend. Somewhere during the two hour long lecture, he'd gotten in into his head that this was merely some rebellious phase that she was going through and that the two would be over in a few weeks.

The mindset of knowing that Zuko was not to be his future brother-in-law definitely helped him be nice to the firebender.

Not that said firebender was making it any easier on him. Zuko was staring at him as if he'd just grown an extra head and it was rather annoying.

Especially since he'd actually purposely slicked back his hair and everything this morning.

"Er, yeah, sure, Sokka," Zuko said finally. "By any chance, you're not planning to slip ice between my sheets again, ear you?"

_Damn it, was this guy making a death wish?_

"That was **one** time!" Sokka replied defensively. "And no. You're part of the family now!"

Just then, Katara poked her head out from the family tent nearby. "Zuko, what's taking so long? I need you to help me prepare dinner!" she called out brightly. Upon catching sight of Sokka, she shot him a death glare like, _Why are you still here?_

Sokka gave a shrug in return.

"Coming," Zuko replied, still looking a little strangely at Sokka. Then he shrugged. "Want to join us, Sokka? I mean, you're part of my family too."

Sokka beamed. Katara looked as if she didn't know whether to be shocked that Zuko had just called Sokka family or that Sokka had not protested.

_A few hours later_

"You seem to be getting on with Zuko well, Sokka," Hakoda commented as he and his teenage son walked around the edge of the camp, collecting firewood for the bitterly cold night. Zuko had been roped into some ice fishing with several of the tribe youngsters while Katara had remained with Gran Gran in the family tent, preparing some hot soup. "Not that I am complaining but I thought you disliked him."

"Oh, come on, Dad," Sokka answered lazily, shifting the pile of logs in his arms. "We all know that they probably won't last long anyway. I mean, look at how different they are! No sense in me risking my friendship with Zuko just because he's Katara's boyfriend when I just _know_ they're going to break up soon."

Hakoda's eyebrows drew together in confusion. "Are you sure about that?"

"Sure thing!" Sokka relied brightly. "I mean, come on. It's not like Katara imagines them getting married or anything." The absurdity of that made him laugh a little.

"Dad! Sokka!"

Both of them turned just in time to see Katara running up to them, huffing and puffing. There was a slight flush to her cheeks from the exertion.

"Hey there, little sis," Sokka greeted her cheerfully as she reached them. "What's up?"

"Have you seen Zuko?" Katara asked, looking around as if she thought they were hiding him behind them. "I can't find him _anywhere_."

"He went with a few of the teenagers to go ice fishing," Hakoda replied. "He'll be back by dinnertime, I'm sure."

"Oh," Katara said. She looked disappointed. "Okay."

"Why?" Sokka asked lazily. "What could you possibly need from him anyway?" Suspicions shot up within him as his little sister blushed slightly.

"Well," she said shyly. "I was just talking to Gran Gran … and I just wanted to ask him if he thought Kairo or Shinko was a better name for our future son." She stopped abruptly at a warning look from their father but it was too late.

Sokka's face turned alarmingly purple.

"_ZUKO!_"

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Well, I hope it wasn't all too bad. Pretty satisfied with this, honestly.

Oh yes. I just got an idea for a Zuki fanfiction so I really hope you guys will support! :) Yes, I know, it's Zuki, which is weird for me since I am Zutara all the way but I thought it would be quite a challenge. So I hope you guys will check it out if I ever upload it.

You know the drill. Review and favourite! Haters can go to hell. Constructive criticism is much appreciated.

And also, just forget telling me if my characters are OOC. I get it. Don't need to rub it in.

x **Kasainoai**


	4. A New Father's Worries

I always thought Zuko was way too serious. :p This was to note that. Thanks for all the reviews, follows and favourites! Keep reading and supporting, you guys! :D

I don't own ATLA. Just sayin'.

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**A Father's Worries**  
15th November 2012

"Ouch." Katara winced slightly but a smile pulled her lips upwards as she ran her hand over her extremely swollen belly. "Oh, she's really kicking today."

Zuko could not stop the purely male self satisfied grin that broke over his face at the sight of his wife, heavily pregnant with his child. The doctors of the Fire Nation court estimated that Katara was barely two months away from her due date and both of them, though slightly nervous, couldn't wait.

Pulling her closer, he placed his own, much larger hand over hers. "How do you know it's a girl?" he asked, resuming an argument they had been having for several weeks now. "It's probably a boy."

"It's a girl," insisted Katara. "Mother's intuition."

"You weren't the only one in that bed," he reminded her. "I helped make him too. And I'm positive it's a boy. Only a boy would kick as much."

Katara rolled her eyes. "It's a girl. Only a girl would actually respond to our voices the way the baby does. A boy would be too absorbed in showing off all his male strength."

"Hence the kicking!" Zuko said triumphantly. When Katara only rolled her eyes, he dropped the playfulness and turned serious. "But there's been something that's been bothering me for awhile now."

"What?" Katara turned to look at him, concern sparkling in her eyes.

Zuko was deadly serious when he asked, "What if they don't like me?"

At another time, this sort of comment would have drawn out Katara's maternal side where she would vehemently insist that no matter what happened, their kids would love him. That he would never turn into Ozai – his worst fear – and practically abandon his kids the way Ozai did. That he would be an incredibly loving father who their kids would adore and respect and worship.

This time, Katara went "Oh" with this relieved sigh as if she had thought of something much worse, turned back to her belly and basically just acted as if he had mentioned something about the weather which, by the way, was as hot and balmy as always.

"Look at it this way, Zuko," she said cheerfully. "The kids have to love at least _one_ parent. On the off chance they don't absolutely, one hundred percent fall in love with me, you still have a chance of them _liking_ you. At least a little."

Zuko just looked at her for a few moments, struck utterly speechless and missing the teasing smile her lips had curled up into. He was actually trying to imagine the picture her words painted, missing the fact that she was joking.

"Katara?"

"Mm-hmm?"

In all seriousness, he asked, "Am I really that bad?"

He couldn't understand why she laughed as hard as she did.

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Read, review and favourite, please.

Haters, you know what I will do to you if you do comment. :(

x **Kasainoai**


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